Game apparatus



H. 0. FORTUNE. GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION HLED JULY 18,!918.

1,33,874c. I Patented May 20, 1919.

VWTTMZSSZS (June/Whoa HERBERT O. FORTUNE, 015 NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 20, 1919.

Application filed July 18, 1918. Serial No. 245,521.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT O. FORTUNE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, ofWhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to amusement apparatus and more particularly togames to be played by players who exercise more or less skill in theselection ofpossible moves and thus provide for amusement as well asmental training incidental to the playing of games where success isobtained more by skill and forethought than by luck.

The object of the invention is to provide what may be termed a seabattle game, in which playing pieces representing two fleets ofbattleships or dreadnaughts are employed in connection with a boardhaving represented thereon the high seas and the home waters of the twoplayers.

\Vith the foregoing and other objects inview, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the comblIlZUtlOl'l andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within thescope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a plan view of a gameboard constituting a portion of this invention, and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the playing pieces used inconnection with the board.

The board 1 forming a part of this invention may be of cardboard, wood,or any other suitable material and as shown is made in the form of arectangle, with extensions 2 from each side midway the width thereof,these extensions 2 being termed the home ports of the players. The boardwhen used for playing is arranged in the position shown in the drawingsin Fig. 1 and each player sits opposite and plays his ships, fourteen ofwhich are designed for each side of the battle. These playing piecesshown at 10 in Fig. 2, are diiferently colored and the spots 3 on theboard, thirty-three of which are shown, represent the positions to betaken by the ships. The positions 3 nearest the side of the board onwhich the player sits, including two home ports, are designed to receivehis playing pieces, fourteen of which are used as above stated. To setthe board ready for playing, each player places his ships in thefourteen positions nearest his side of the board, including his two homeports. This leaves five unoccupied positions through the middle of theboard and these positions. together with the seven on each side of themconstitute the high seas. The players move alternately one piece at atime.

T0 sink the ship.

When two ships are moved to positions that are equally distant from andadjacent to a position occupied by opponents ship, and when they are somaneuvered, the opponent is sunk and removed from the board.Theoretically the two ships converge fire on the one and put her out ofcommission. Merely two ships of equal strength in range of each other donot make a decision.

To increase the strength or efiicz'cncy of a ship.

hen a ship gains entrance to an enemy home port, and takes up the lastposition in said port, she becomes what may be termed asuper-dreadnaught, and her eiiiciency is increased one hundred per cent.This enables her to sink an ordinary ship by simply getting withinrange.

To captwrc a ship.

A ship is captured when three enemy ships converge on her at the sametime. Captured ships after changing pieces to make the color uniform arepressed into the captors service but must begin operations in the homewaters of the captor.

To win.

To win the game, all the enemys ships must be sunk or they must beforced to abandon the high seas by retiring within the limits of theirown home waters.

If the enemy is off the high seas, but still has ships in opponents homewaters, they must be sunk, bottled up, or driven back into his own homewaters before the game is ended. There are occasions, when as a resultof a maneuver, the first fleet has one ship in range of two ships of thesecond fleet, and the second fleet has one ship in range of two ships ofthe first fleet, in all such cases, the sinking is effected by the shipthat makes the maneuver.

' Any concentration of dreadnauglits, even though they are supported bya super-dreadnaught, does not affect the superdreadnaught. The theory isthat the dreadnaughts guns are outranged and are therefore, under allcircumstances, put out of commission before they can become effective.

No two ships can be sunk at any one maneuver, and in case of asuper-dreadnaught, when she comes in range of more than one dreadnaughtat'the same time, the dreadnaughts are sunk one at a time, that is,after the first one is sunk, the opponent is entitled to a move beforethe neXt one is sunk. Sinking-s are not compulsory, but it will be foundthat it is almost necessary to make th position safe.

The pieces may be moved in any direction except diagonally from oneposition to another, and When one ship is deliberately or otherwisemoved in range of two enemy ships, the enemy is entitled to a sinkingand then make a move, even though the move effects another sinking.

The foregoing description and the drawings have reference to What may beconsid ered; the preferred or approved form of my invention. It is to beunderstood that I may make such changes in construction and arrangementand combination of parts, materials, dimensions, etc, as may proveexpedient and fall Within the scope of the claimed invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

An amusement device of the class described comprising' a rectangularboard having smaller rectangular extensions at the side edges midway theends thereof, twentyfive spots arranged on said board positioned inrows, those of each roW alining With each other, and two spots arrangedin each extension, all of said spots indicating positions for theplaying pieces, and fourteen playing pieces for each player to be placedon the spots at his side of the board. and moved in any direction exceptdiagonally.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HERBERT o. FORTUNE.- VVitnesses H. C. MANN, V. L. SYKns.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O.

